WASHINGTON Dec 3 (Reuters) - Most Americans would like to
see a "public option" in health insurance reform but doubt
anything Congress does will lower costs or improve care in the
short term, according to a poll released on Thursday.

The survey of 2,999 households by Thomson Reuters Corp
(TRI.TO)(TRI.N) shows a public skeptical about the cost,
quality and accessibility of medical care.

Just under 60 percent of those surveyed said they would
like a public option as part of any final healthcare reform
legislation, which Republicans and a few Democrats oppose.

Here are some of the results of the telephone survey of
2,999 households called from November 9-17 as part of the
Thomson Reuters PULSE Healthcare Survey:

* Believe in public option: 59.9 percent yes, 40.1 percent
no.

* 86 percent of Democrats support the public option versus
57 percent of Independents and 33 percent of Republicans.

* 23 percent believe it will be easier for people to
receive the care they need a year from now.

The nationally representative survey has a margin of error
of plus or minus 1.8 percent.

The House of Representatives passed a healthcare overhaul
bill last month.

The Senate is debating a plan and will vote on Thursday on
competing measures to ensure women have access to mammograms
and other preventive screenings and amendments on proposed
spending cuts in the Medicare government health program for the
elderly.

If the Senate passes a bill, the two versions
will have to be reconciled and passed again by each chamber
before being sent to President Barack Obama for his signature.

The Senate plan is designed to slow the rate of growth in
healthcare, expand coverage to about 30 million uninsured
Americans and halt industry practices such as denying coverage
to those with pre-existing medical conditions.

It would require everyone to have insurance, provide
federal subsidies to help them pay for it and establish a new
government-run insurance option to compete with private
industry.